NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The fourth-ranked Christopher Newport Captains improved to 9-2 overall, 2-0 in the USA South with a strong pitching performance on a wet Sunday afternoon today, dropping Greensboro College, 2-0. The Pride falls to 7-5, 2-2, despite holding the Captains potent offense to just two runs. CNU picked up its first shutout of the season, holding GC to just four singles in the game.

Junior starter Greg Goldsmith was impressive, tossing seven shutout innings with six strikeouts, allowing just four singles to the Pride. He picked up his first win of the year and has allowed just one earned run this season in three starts.

Jacob Cadle started for Greensboro, and managed to keep the Captains at bay for the first five innings. Despite walking six and hitting three for nine free passes, the Captains were unable to break through until the sixth inning.

With one out, Luke Saunders smacked a double to right center field and advanced to third on a groundball to the right side. Senior Ben Lenda plated the eventual gamewinner with a single over the first baseman's head.

Goldsmith went out for one more inning with the lead, striking out Steven Pfeiffer for his sixth and final K of the day, and then getting an infield popout and ground out to the shortstop to cap a fine performance.

The Captains tacked on one more in the seventh when Shannon Mark singled through the right side and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Billy Steel. Senior Connor Madden hammered a shot up the middle to drive in Mark, scoring the second run of the game.

CNU called on junior closer Ryan Fleischmann in the eighth inning to finish out the game with a two-inning save. In two innings of work, he allowed just one base runner and struck out a pair for his third save of the season. He is now just one shy of the career record in program history.

The Captains will head to Myrtle Beach, S.C. for a three neutral site games against Catholic (3/6), Penn State-Berks (3/7) and Penn State-Harrisburg (3/8).